Elastically-deformable parachute



Dec. 9, 1930. L. AvoRlo I 1,784,774

ELASTICALLY DEFORMABLE PARACHUTE Filed Jan. 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

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//Vl /V TOR 1.." u z qi Avorm B Y A ATTORNEY z Dec. 9, 1930. L. AVORIO ELASTICALLY DEFORMABLE PARACHUTE Filed Jan. a, 1928 2 She ets-Sheet 2 Mum/WY Patented 9, v 1930 .mner avoar'o, or non, run

MTIGALLY-DEFOBIABLE PARACHUTE.

Application filed January 8, 1928, Serial Io. 244,298, and m litaly August 5, 1927.

As a result of the continually increasing speed of aeroplanes, parachutes, which generally open out in the wake of the propeller, are subJected to increasing stresses. It is therefore necessary to strengthen the parachute correspondingly by increasing the strength both of the fabric and of the seams, suspensions and the like which however entails an excessive increase inweight and renders the device cumbersome and thus greatly diminishes its practical value.

. In certain types of parachutes attempts have been made to improve the working conditions by providingone or more elastically deformable sleeves, designed to absorb the violence of the initial shock. Such sleeves usually consist of the same material as the re,- mainder of the parachute, and are open-ended f and. cylindrical in shape, one end being sewn to the parachute to coincide with an opening therein of equivalent size and the other end being encircled by an elastic cord. Such sleeve is adapted to come into operation 5 shortly after the parachute has spread in 2 filled with air and to open to its maximum extent to allow the escape of the excess air and thus diminish the pressure of the parachute, whereas during the normal course of descent, the elastic constraint on the sleeve is adapted to reduce the diameter of said sleeve to normal dimensions in order to insure a slow drop. 85 In other types of parachutes the sleeve is applied directly to the vent in the cap and is normally restricted by a rubber and enclosed in the hem of the vent. In this proposal, however,.the only elastically rethe vent and the stretching of the fullness of the material of the cap does not absorb any appreciable energy. Since the materialof which parachutes are made is necessarily al ways light,-, its strength and therefore the pressure; which it can safelyiwithstand is limited, so that the speed. of the aeroplane must also be'limited while the parachute is being launchedjin order to avoid pressures T mally elastic descending, i. e., when the same is completely has been dispensed with and the elastic cord sisting element is the rubber cord encircling capable of disrupting the material of the parachute.

e The object of the present invention is to provide a parachute which, although consisting of the usual light material of limited strength, may nevertheless be launched, without fear of disruption or tearing, even from1 aeroplanes travelling at maximum p In the parachute of the present invention, the whole cap is elastically deformable, which means that its spreading must necessarily be contemporaneous with the elastic deformation, and therefore contemporaneous with the escape of the-excess of air.

To this end according to the present in-. vention, in 'a plarachute having a vent nora y constrained by a rubber cord enclosed in the hem thereof, the cap is provided with elastic means conveniently distributed over its surface and adapted to secure the stretching and shrinking of the material in accordance with the variations in the air pressure encountered thereby.

Moreover as the cap of the parachute has a considerably larger area than the small sleeve above ment1 o ned,' the pressure required in order to produce the same tension in the material 0 the parachute as that which extends the elastic cord in the sleeve, is considerably lower and the parachute is consequently subjected to much less stresses.

In the accompanying drawing which serves to illustrate the present invention:

Figs. 1 and 2 show an elevation and a top view, respectively, of one embodimentof the parachute when fully distended.

Figures 3 and 4 are corresponding'views of the same parachute during the normal course of the descent.

Figures 5, 6,7, 8 are corresponding views of a second embodiment of the parachute.

. Figures!) and 10 represent a portion of the material of the cap of the parachute.

The elastically deformable parachute illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 comprises a cap (0) provided at the to with a circular apermm or vent (a lying 1n a plane (mm) normal to thebase an of sufiicient diameter to permit of the escape, during the opening of the cap, of the excess air due to the maximum speed of the aeroplane. Around the periphery of the aperture or vent (-0) are-applied one or more elastic cords or ribbons, of such length and elasticity that when they are completely stretched, as When-the parachute is opening, Figs. 1 and 2, then coincide with the development of the periphery of the maximum aperture f) while when they are loose, as during the descent. Figs. 3 and 4, they coincide with the periphery'of aperture (f') of the smallest area, compatible with the stability of the parachute.

That is to say, after the escape of the excess air from the cap, the pressure in the latter and therefore the tension of the material decreases, and the aperture (0) Figs. 1 and 2, returns automatically to the dimensions of aperture (0') Fig. 2; in which the cap looses its geometric distended shape to assume a shrunken shape. a.

For the purpose of subjecting the material of the parachute to the least possible stress therewith.

and of further diminishing the speed of the descent, the present invention provides an arrangement for obtainin a practically always instantaneous s rea ing by means of gradual and equally 'stributed efforts.

To this end the parachute has, besides the dilation of the vent (0), also the stretching out of the folds of material (d) rendered elastic, by means of cords, ribbons or the like on tightening of the aperture (0). The material of the parachute becomes shrunk in regular folds owing to the action of elastic cords (d) In the act of opening, Fi 1 and 2, these folds become extended gra ually as the elastic of the gores extend, thus producin the gradual widening of the aperture (0 a gradual and uniform opening of all its parts is thus obtained, and the stresses are consequently also gradual and uniformly distributed.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 5 to 8,

I the-elastic, ribbons, cords, tubes or the like insteadwf bein limited to the parallels comprised within t egores, extend over all the circumference of parallels (p) of thecap and preferably in. correspondence with the seams which are thus strengthened; the. material, which in'Figs. 3 and 4 is all shrunk within the gores (d), in Fi I 7 and 8 is shown, on the contrar ,evenly 'stributed and stretched to the ful development of parallels (p), While in the act'of theopeningjit extends completely as seen in Figs. 5 and-6.

It is evident that also inthis case graduation and uniformity are obtained-not only of the opening but also of the stresses on the cap.

In both of theembodiments illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8 the powibility is also secured of facilitating the expulsion of excess air without, however, increasin the dimensions of the aperture (0 or o maintaining it unchanged while dlminishing the dimensionsof said aperture (0). This possibility is secured, as shown in-Figs. 9 and 10, by the use of auxiliary openings distributed over the cap, irrespective as to. whether the elastics be limited to the gores (d) Figs. 1 to 4, or whether they extend to the entire circumference from the parallels, as illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8.

Figs. 9 to 10 show a piece (e) of material of the parachute traversed by an elastic cord ((2) in correspondence with said elastic co'rd small openings (g) are provided in the mathat if the elastic 'bord (a) be stretched, as during the opening of the parachute, the borders of the openings g) will be drawn apart as shown in Fi ure 9, whereas, if the elastic is slack, as during the descent, the said borders will be drawn together, so as to almost close the openings. In other words these openings with respect to the expulsion of air act similarly to the central aperture (0 and come into operation simultaneously Claims:

1. In parachutes of the class comprising a cap with holes elastically constrained so as to produce the variation of their size,'the combination, with a cap having holes of elastically variable size, of elastic means suitablydistributed over I the surface of the cap and terial, at convenient intervals. It is evident adapted to secure the stretching and the shrinking ofvthe cap itself in accordance with the variations of the air pressure encountered thereby. a

2. A parachute as set forth in claim 1 with an elastically constrained ventat'the top of the cap and in which the elastic means for the distension of the cap and securing together the dilation of the vent, consist in elastic gores radiatin'gifrom the peri hery of the vent towards the periphery of t e cap.

- 3. A parachute as set forth in claim 1, with an elastically constrained vent at the top of the cap and in which the elastic means for the distension of the cap and securing together the dilation of the vent consist I of elastic cords, or the like, one of which enclosed in the hem of the vent-and the others are disdin arallel'concentricrelation with the cm of t e vent and the border of the cap.-

, 4. A parachute as set forth in claim 1, in which the elastic means for the distension of the cap and for securing the dilation of the vholes of variable size, consist of elastic cords,-'

or the like, disposed in parallel concentric relation with the vent and the border of the v I have aflixed my LUIGI Avoaio. 

